Opposite effects of two different strains of equine herpesvirus 1 infection on cytoskeleton composition in equine dermal ED and African green monkey kidney Vero cell lines: application of scanning cytometry and confocal-microscopy-based image analysis in a quantitative study.

This research study focused on understanding how two distinct strains of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) affect the structure of the cellular skeletal system. The investigation revealed variances based on both the viral strain and the type of cell line; the Rac-H strain disrupted the fibres in equine dermal cells, and the Jan-E strain induced polymerization in monkey kidney cells. Interestingly, these effects were not cross-observed in the alternate cell lines.

Research Goals and Methods

• The researchers set out with the objective of documenting the alterations in the cellular skeleton (cytoskeleton) following an infection with two strains of the Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1), namely Rac-H and Jan-E.
• The study utilized two different cell lines: the equine dermal (ED) cell line, which is homologous to the original host of EHV-1, and the Vero cell line derived from African green monkey kidneys. These two were chosen to gauge the effects of viruses on both a homologous and a heterologous cell line.
• The cytoskeletal changes in these cell lines were observed and documented using confocal-microscopy-based image analysis and scanning cytometry.

Significant Findings

• The Rac-H strain of EHV-1 perturbed the actin fibers and diminished the level of F-actin (a polymer of actin that forms part of the cytoskeleton) in ED cells. This strain did not however affect the Vero cells in a comparable way.
• Contrastingly, the Jan-E strain stimulated the formation of fibres (polymerisation) in both F-actin and microtubules in Vero cells while leaving the ED cell line unaffected.
• Further microscopic analysis revealed that alpha-tubulin (a part of the cytoskeleton) showed colocalization with the viral antigen. This was observed in ED cells infected with either of the EHV-1 strains.

Conclusion

• The end interpretation of this study supports the idea that the strain of the virus can lead to distinct effects on the cytoskeleton within host cells, and these effects are also influenced by the type of cell line.
• The study makes a case for the evaluation of viral pathogenic effects in species-specific cell lines, claiming that the results are more indicative than in heterologous cells lines.